Every week, we’re bringing the uShip community posts and articles about the transportation industry, transport policy and technology, and recent trucking news.

Diesel prices fall for the first time in six weeks, reports EIA- Logisticsmgmt.com
After six weeks of steady increases, diesel fuel prices saw a decline this week with the average price per gallon falling 2.9 cents to $4.13 per gallon. This price decline marks the first price fall since diesel hit an all-time high the week of Feb 25 at $4.159 per gallon, the highest point for diesel since August, 2008 when the price rose to $4.207 per gallon. In recent studies, the EIA is predicting the 2013 average to be $3.92 per gallon and $3.82 in 2014.
Congress considering letting states raise truck weight limits – CCJDigital.com

Once again, Congress will be asked to decide to increase truck weights on the interstate to 97,000 pounds. The Safe and Efficient Transportation Act, in addtion to allowing extra weight, requires these tractor-trailers to have a sixth axle, decreasing per-tire weight.

Find out what the House of Representatives plans to do about the new highway bill, MAP 21, and what the FMCSA said about the ATA’s request for HOS extension after the jump. >>

House Sets Transportation Oversight Hearings- TruckingInfo.com
The House of Representatives has called a hearing March 14, to review implementation of key elements of last year’s highway bill, MAP 21. The chairman of the House Highway and Transit Subcommittee, Thomas Petri, R-Wisc., expects that Congress will eventually figure out how to grapple with the biggest transportation issue–funding. For now, the hearing will be reviewing issues such as streamlining the project approval process, consolidating programs, and establishing performance measures.

In preparation for the hearing, DOT announced it is looking for nominations to a committee to establish a National Freight Strategic Plan as called for in the new law.ATA’s Graves: FMCSA’s refusal to delay HOS enforcement ‘unbelievable’- The Trucker
The FMCSA has decided not to delay the ATA’s proposed July 1 implementation of the new HOS rules. It is estimated that the new rules will cost the industry $230M according to the ATA in lost productivity for those truckers who have to re-organize their sleep/drive/work schedule.

“While the ATA asked merely for the agency to extend the rule’s implementation deadline — a request the agency could grant so long as there is a reasonable basis to do so — FMCSA’s chief counsel instead analyzed the request as though ATA were asking a court for an injunction forcing the agency to delay,” Prasad Sharma, ATA senior vice president and general counsel, wrote in a letter to T.F. Scott Darling III, the FMCSA’s chief counsel and the author of the Friday letter to the ATA.

The new HOS rule changes will not only cost the indrusty an inordinate amount of money, the cost will also affect shippers, receivers and others in the supply chain as well as bind state enforcement agencies to spend taxpayer money to adapt to the rule changes.